The US Dept. of Energy (DOE) recently released its 2024 Progress Report for the Better Buildings initiative—an annual publication that highlights the achievements of the initiative and its partners by sector. The Better Buildings initiative (BB) aims to improve energy efficiency and advance decarbonization across the nation’s various building sectors. BB helps organizations reduce their energy use, lower operational costs, and improve sustainability. It accomplishes this by bringing together thought leaders and organizations across the country committed to sharing research, insights, and best practices to encourage innovation and support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Read more here

It smells like a giant campfire inside a big brick building in the small northeastern city of Coleraine, in northeastern Minnesota, where researchers are making a material that can not only fight climate change but also provide a host of other environmental benefits, from improving soil to filtering pollutants.

It’s called biochar. It’s a centuries-old technology that is now the subject of renewed attention in Minnesota and beyond as companies and government agencies look for ways to reduce their carbon footprints. Read more here

A coalition of farmers and legislators is advancing the Valley Clean Infrastructure Plan (VCIP), aiming to build transmission power lines capable of delivering 20 GWac of solar power and energy storage to California. The California legislature enabled this local control through the passage of AB 2661.

The plan calls for private investors to finance the development of both the power lines and energy resources, while local residents oversee the process to ensure the benefits are distributed within the region.  Read more here

California Launches Home Energy Rebate Program

The U.S. Department of Energy announced California has launched program activities under the federal Home Energy Rebates Program, with $300 million in funding, supported by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The Home Energy Rebates program is part of the High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate Act (HEEHRA) passed as part of the IRA. The Home Energy Rebates Program contains two distinct sub-programs: California will begin with the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEAR) portion of the rebate program, while the second portion, Home Efficiency Rebates (HER), is projected to launch in 2025. HEAR will be overseen by the California Energy Commission and implemented by TECH Clean California, an existing state program offering single-family and multifamily (M.F.) rebates on heat pumps for space heating and cooling. HER and HEAR will expand state programs, providing additional support for low- to moderate-income households. Read more here